Acetylene-generator.



J. L. RICHARDSON.

AGBTYLENE GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27, 1911.

1,025, 1 60. 1 y Patented May 7, 1912,

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AGETYLENB GENERATOR.

AP PLIOATION FILED APB. 27, 1911.

Patented May '7, 1912.

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JEROME L. RICHARDSON, OF RED OAK, IOWA.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Application led April 27, 1911. Serial No. 623,641.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME L. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Red Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene gas, andhas special reference to that type of acetylene gas generator 1n which avertically movable bell is employed together with means for graduallysubmerging carbid into water to generate and collectthe gas within saidbell.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved acetylene gasgenerator which will be simple in construction and effective inoperat-ion and may be readily removed for repair and charged with carbidand which will avoid any danger of explosion.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a View in verticalsection of an acetylene gas generator constructed in accordance withthis invention and shown as sunk in the ground. Fig. 2 is an elongateddetail view in vertical section of a portion of the apparatus consistingof a carbid holder which is removably mounted in the gas bell. invertical section of a portion of the carbid holder. Fig. 4 is a detailplan view of one of a number of disks employed with a carbid holder.Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a metallic blank used to form theangular perforated metallic strip shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a detailview of an angular perforated metallic strip serving as a water conduitfor the carbid holder. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a portion ofthe end of a gas pipe located in the end of a gas pipe shown in verticalsection.

In the construction of this invention a metallic tank 1 of suitable sizeis employed which is sunk in the ground as shown in Fig. 1, and is`provided with a solid bottom 2. Located in the tank 1 is a verticallymovable bell 3 having at its upper end laterally projecting arms' 4,each of said arms having on its outer end a friction roller 5 whichbears against the inside of the tank 1, the arms 4 and friction rollers5 serving to steady the bell 3 when it is raised and lowered. Suspendedwithin the bell 3 is a cylindrical metallic casing 6 open -at its Fig. 3is an enlarged detail view i lower end and having a closed top 7 with anannular flange 8 which is adapted to be seated inthe shoulder of anopening in the top of the bell 3, through which opening the casing 6 isadapted to be removed. The' casing 6 is yof a length equal to that ofthe bell 3 and is for the purpose of containing carbid. The casing 6 issecured in place by any suitable means, as, for example, by nuts andbolts 9. Extending centrally through the casing 6 and projecting throughits top 7 is a` pipe 10 which is held in place by means of a transversebar 11 through which the pipe 10 projects, and is clamped in placethereon by nuts 12. The bent outer ends 13 of the bar 11 rest on the topof the bell 3.

Located at intervals apart on the pipe 10 1 and removable therefrom areperforated '3 disks 14 which are slidably removable from 1 the pipe 10and are held in spaced relation ,j to each other by any suitable means,as, for i example, by short tubes 15 mounted on the tube 10 and having aflanged lower end 16 chambered portion 16 having a lower l open end andlocated in said chamber 16 and slidably and detachably mounted on thepipe 10 is a cone shaped float 17. It aids in lifting the carbid holderand bell.

Mounted in the sides of the casing 6 are a lnumber of verticalperforated conduits 18 tofv any suitable shape for the passage of fwater, and, as'here shown, preferably of an angular shape formed bybending a metallic blankstrip 19, as shown in Fig. 5 int-o the angularshapel shown in Fig. 6 with'the sides 20 having apertures 21. Theseperforated conduits 18 are secured in any suitable manner to the innersides of the casing 6 and the disks 14 are seated over said conduits 18by means of notches 22 in the periphery of each disk. These perforatedconduits 18 are for the purpose of conducting l wat-er to the carbid andalso for the passage of the generated gas to the tube 10 which isprovided at its upper end with a number of and the lower end of the pipe24 is connected by an elbow joint 26 with a pipe coupling joint 27containing a cock or valve. The

. other elbow pipe 2S of the coupling joint has the bell 3 is admittedto the desired point for use by means of a vertical pipe 33 having its'open upper end projecting into the bell and its lower end coupled to ahorizontal short pipe 34 which in turn is coupled to a vertical l pipe35 projecting out of the top of the casing 1 and connected by a shortpipe 36 with a pipe coupling 37 containing a stop cock 38, said couplingbeing connected to a pipe 39 leading to a place where the gas is to beuse Located at the bottom of the casing 6 and passing through its wallis a U-shaped tube 40 extending up on each side of the wall of thecasing and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The tube 40 serves toprevent the escape of gas while the apparatus is being charged, being ofa suflicient length to be submerged in the water and thus making a waterseal just before the carbid touches the water and begins to generategas, and, ashereinafter more fully set forth, also serves to permit theescape of all the air through the lower end of the casing 6 while thecarbid holder is being replaced after bej ing recharged, the gas belllying flat on the water thus forcing all of the air out before the upperend of the tube 40 is submerged so as to fill with water.

The carbid casing 6 is charged with carbid by removing it from the belland inverting the same. The oat 17 and the disks 14 with theirsupporting tubes 15 are re moved from the pipe 10 and each chamberformed by the disks 14 as they are replaced is filled with carbid 41.After the carbid holder has been charged, as aforesaid, it is replacedin the bell and the latter is lowered into the water 42 in the tank l.In charging the water the gas bell 3 lies flat on the water, and thepipes 29 and 83 telescope into pipes 43 depending from the top of thebell, thereby leaving the bell or carbid holder entirely free from air.As soon as the carbid casing charged with carbid strikes the water thepressure is created in the carbid holder and as it is forced down to theproper position the air is expelled through the tube 40 and just beforethe carbid at the lower end of the carbid holder comes in contact withthe water and begins to make gas, the tube 40 fills the water, making agas tight seal, as shown in Fig. 3, and starts the machine in operationand practically no air can be drawn out of the pipes or mixed with thegas. By placing the carbid on a series of perforated shelves the wholecharge of carbid is prevented from being moistened at once, and thenecessity for feeding the carbid to the water is avoided, and,Vmoreover, the caking of the residuum or refuse carbid is avoided and the`spaces between the several charges of carbid assist in preventing anover supply of gas and make it unnecessary to change the water sofrequently for the reason that all of the residuum of the carbid isretained in the holder, from which it is readily removed beforerecharging.

By means of the foregoing construction the machine may readily berecharged while in operation, the service being continuous without asufiicient amount of air being mixed with the gas to materially aiectthe brilliancy of the light. By means of this -construction also Yincutting off the gas described 1n connection with the handle 32 thecarbid holder can be removed for recharging the machine without turningout the lights. It will readily be seen that as the carbid holder islowered into the water the latter will pass through the perforatedconduits 18 and is distributed among thc carbid gradually as the carbidholder is lowered the generated gas passing down through the tube 10 andout of the tube 29 into the bell.

What I claim is 1. In an acetylene gas generator of the kind described,a carbid holder consisting of a cylindrical casing with a closed top andan open lower end, and a chamber in the lower end of said casing, acentral gas tube extending through said casing, and having an open lowerend, and an apertured upper end communicating with said casing, a columnof perforated disks detachably mounted on said tube and spaced apartfrom each other, and a U-shaped tube mounted in the side of the lowerend of said carbid holder with its upper end in a plane below the lowerend of the column of perforated disks, and serving to form a water sealtherefor.

2. In an acetylene gas generator of the kind described, a water tank, abell vertically movable in said water tank, a carbid holder consistingof a cylindrical casing suspended from the top of said bell, and havinga central gas tube, a number of removable perforated disks mountedthereon and spaced apart from each other, a number of vertical conduitshaving perforations and located on the inner side of said holder and iwith said valve and projecting through the top of said bell.

3. In an acetylene gas generator of the kind described, a water tank, abell vertically movable in said water tank, and having tubes dependingfrom its top inside thereof, and an opening in its top, a carbid holderdepending within said bell and detachably mounted in said opening initsv top, and having a central gas tube extending from top to bottom ofsaid holder and open at its lower end and having apertures at its upperend opening into said holder, a number of perforated disks slidably anddetachably mounted on said pipe, and spaced apart from each other, tubeson said pipe located between said disks, angular perforated conduitslocated on the inner sides of said holder, the lower end of said holderbeing formed with a chamber, a cone shaped supe port detachably mountedon said pipe in said chamber, a U-shaped pipe mounted on one sideL ofsaid chamber and serving as a water seal, a U-shaped pipe located in thelower end of said water tank and having one arm projecting into saidpipe in the carbid holder and its other arm opening into the bell, adischarge pipe projecting into the lower end of said bell, a verticalpipe connected with said discharge pipe and projecting through the topof the water tank, and a pipe leading to the point of dischargeconnected with said vertical pipe, the vertical pipes projecting intothe bell being adapted to telescope with the pipes depending from thetop of the bell.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JEROME L. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

GEO. W. THOMAS, WILLIAM G. RAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

